The invention relates to a sun shade. More particularly, the invention relates to a device which provides a small area of shade which is easily positionable to block the sun's rays from reaching the head of the user.
People enjoy sitting or lying in the sun when at the beach, at the pool, or even in their backyards. Sunbathing can be relaxing and can enhance one's appearance. However, whether lying on the beach, or sitting and reading, many people find it undesirable to have the sun shine directly on their face. The hot sun can be irritating to sensitive facial skin, and over-exposure can lead to various skin conditions. In addition, over-exposure of the suns rays can lead to premature facial aging.
People have sought to selectively block the sun's rays using umbrellas which either attach to their chair, or stick in the ground. However, it is difficult to use an umbrella to selectively block the sun from portions of the body such as the face, while allowing the sun's rays to reach the remainder of the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,102 to Heuer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,067 to James et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,268 to Chang, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,849 to Scott all disclose devices which attach onto a chair, and provide an area of sun protection. However, each of these devices either fails to provide sufficient adjustability to block the sun regardless of its position relative to the chair, or fail to fold for compact storage.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.